Burning Passion 1
by Giga Bowser NS
Summary: Follow the lives of two Vulpix who meet and fall deeply in love. Their love is perfect, but life is never fair, so they'll have to do their best to stay together forever.


**Burning Passion**

A Pokémon FanFiction by Giga Bowser

Pokémon and all Pokémon characters © Nintendo & Game Freak

This work of fiction, its setting, characters, and ideas are © Giga Bowser.

Do not use without permission

* * *

><p>Flare yawned.<p>

The world around him slowly came into focus and blurry shapes manifested themselves as his bedroom. Eyes drooping, he yawned again. What a magnificent sleep. He glanced down at the furry being cuddled up next to him. He smiled warmly. Vixie was curled up beside his stomach breathing lightly. Flare gave her a small nudge.

"Vixie," he spoke softly, "Wake up my angel. It's a new day."

Her ears twitched and she shifted slightly. There was no further movement.

Flare sported a wry look. "Come on, Vix. How am I supposed to love and adore you when you're asleep?" Vixie's lips curled into a smile. Flare also smiled warmly. "Come on," he whispered in her ear, "wake up."

Finally she began to stir. She lifted her head and yawned before opening her eyes to look up at Flare. "Hi, Flare."

"Good Morning, Vix!" The two kissed each other passionately for a brief moment before sitting up.

"I love you, Vixie."

"I love you, Flare."

Flare stepped off the bed and quickly shook his fur into place. It was a mess. Vixie giggled.

"Oh, no. Vix, you know what that giggle does to me!" Flare beamed and glanced toward her.

She held a paw up to her mouth. "Sorry."

Flare rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "So, what should we do today?" he asked her, "I mean, other than talk about how much I love you."

Vixie replied, "I'm not sure. I kinda wanted to go for a walk by the lake. How's that sound?"

"That sounds perfect," Flare replied, "A nice leisurely stroll where you and I can be alone with ourselves with no-one to bother us."

Vixie smiled. "I thought you might like it."

Flare padded over to the window and grasped the drapes with his teeth. He pulled them back to reveal the scene outside. His heart dropped. "Oh, no!"

"What?"

"Come look."

Vixie also got up from the bed and shook her fur. She padded over to Flare's side and gazed outward. "Oh," she said, disheartened.

It was raining. More than a drizzle, it was a full rainstorm. The two Vulpix could barely see out the window through the numerous cascading droplets. Flare and Vixie's spirits sank. Vulpix could not go outside during the rain because it doused their inner flame. Prolonged exposure could be deadly.

Flare sighed. "Well, scratch that idea," he muttered. The two sat down and looked at each other. Silence reigned for a few moments before Flare smiled. "Oh, well," he mused, "at least I'm still here with you."

Vixie blushed. "I really didn't care what we did as long as I'd be with you." The two closed their eyes and leaned towards each other for another kiss. After the brief moment of euphoria, Flare found himself staring into Vixie's shining sapphire eyes.

"Wow, Vixie. You are as beautiful as the day I met you, and you always have been."

"Oh, stop! Flatterer!"

"Let me tell you. You looked spectacular that day, and the beauty has never faded." The couple stared lovingly at one another.

Vixie shuffled closer to Flare and leaned her head on his shoulder. Flare leaned his head on hers and began to nuzzle her softly. "I remember the day we met," Vixie reminisced.

"Me too. It's not every day you get to meet an angel."

"Or a knight…"

* * *

><p>"Flare! You ass! Get back here with my hat!"<p>

"No! You promised me this hat if I beat you at wrestling!"

"You cheated!"

It was three years ago. Flare was running around the village, desperately trying to escape his friend Magma, a Flareon. The sun was shining its summer glow and Flare didn't have a care in the world.

It had now been a year since his mother, his only living family member, had died, but Magma had always been beside him, cheering him up.

Flare quickly ducked into an alleyway, his paws slipping on the dirt's surface. Magma was not fooled and followed him in quickly. Flare continued to run, keeping his grip on the blue hat. Flare and all of his friends lived on a continent far from the others. It was a place where no humans lived, and where Pokémon had advanced their skills and were able to build houses to live in.

"Damnit, Flare! I'm gonna tie those tails of yours in a knot!"

Flare laughed and picked up the pace. Magma treated him like a brother, so Flare did the same. The alley ended and Flare made a hard right.

He immediately came face to face with a small, brown furry animal. "Look out!" he cried out, but he was going to fast to stop. The two quadrupeds tumbled to the ground in a heap.

Flare groaned. "I'm sorry, dude, I wasn't watching where I was going," he said as he shook his head.

"Flare?"

Flare glanced down. "Flash?"

"That hurt."

"Oh, sorry dude! I didn't know it was you."

The little Eevee stared up at him. "Please…get off me…" he groaned. Flare chuckled and released the captured Eevee.

"Flare, are you all right?" came Magma's voice from behind him.

"Yeah, I think we're both fine. You're all right, right?" he said.

"Yeah…"

Magma reached down and grabbed his hat, tossing it onto his head skilfully. "Hey! Give it! I won, fair and square!" Flare exclaimed.

"You did not!"

"Yes I did!"

"Whatever…hey, you guys wanna get some berry juice?"

Before Flare could respond, Flash was immediately on his feet. "Yes! Yes! I want juice! I want Pecha, no Oran, actually Oran sucks, get me Cheri!" he babbled, slurring his sentences together. Flare and Magma glanced at each other and burst out laughing.

The trio was walking down the street, talking and feeling carefree. "And, so I told her to get out! Whatever chemistry that had been between us had disappeared." Magma was saying.

"You broke up with her?"

"Yeah! She was a bi-"

"Mag! Hush!" Flare interrupted, indicating Flash with his eyes.

"Er, yeah…she was a big…loser…" Flare rolled his eyes. "What about you, Flare? Don't you have a girlfriend?" Magma questioned.

"Oh, shut up," he muttered.

"Hey, bro, I'm just wonderin'. It doesn't matter. You'll find the right girl some day…You'll just know…"

Flare glanced to Magma with a bemused look on his face. "Yeah, sure. That's what they say in all the stories. It's always 'Happily Ever After' for them. That never happens in real life. Do you know how many mates break up these days? Even if they have kids!"

Flash was watching the two converse. He was much younger than the two of them and had not reached puberty yet. "Girls are icky. Why do you guys wanna hang out with them, anyway?"

Flare glanced down at Flash. "Oh, Flash…you'll know when you grow up."

Flash pouted. "My parents have told me that 50 times…" The three continued walking in silence.

"Excuse me! Do you know which way the lake is?"

Flare, Flash and Magma turned around to seek the owner of the voice. Behind them stood another Vulpix. She was about the same age as Flare, but she was shorter, and the fur on her head curled more smoothly. She padded up to them.

"Oh, yeah, just follow this road until you get to that blue house down there, then turn left. You can't miss it," Magma responded.

The Vulpix smiled. "Thanks! Sorry, I'm new in town and I don't know where anything is."

"Oh, did you just move into that house on the hill?"

"Yes! My name's Vixie."

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Magma, this is Flash."

Flash stepped forward. "Hi!"

"Aww, you're so cute!" Vixie said, leaning down to look at Flash.

"I'm not cute! I'm handsome!" Flash retorted. Vixie giggled.

"And this is Flare."

Vixie straightened up and turned to Flare. "Hi, Flare."

Flare was silent. He was transfixed. As soon as he'd laid eyes on this Vulpix, something had come over him. Something he had never felt before. His heart rate accelerated and his mind blanked.

Vixie tilted her head. "Uh, hello?"

Flare couldn't speak. Everything had disappeared from his world except for this stunning creature that stood before him.

Suddenly, Flare's mind was re-awakened when Magma shoved him forcefully. "Oh, uh…um, hi! My name's Flare," he stammered, tripping over his words.

Vixie smiled and replied, "Hi, Flare! Nice to meet another Vulpix!"

"Yeah…" Flare murmured.

"Well, I've got to run! There's so much to see here! It was nice meeting you all!" she said as she turned and ran down the street.

Flare found himself staring after her. She ran with such grace, and her tails flew through the air in a mesmerizing way. He could not empty his mind of her image. He had never met anyone so beautiful before in his entire life. Her pretty face with those stunning sapphire eyes melted his heart. It was a new, overwhelming feeling of adoration he had not felt ever before.

"She seems nice, eh Flare?"

There was no response.

"Flare!" Magma shouted, giving him another shove.

"Huh? What did you say?" Flare muttered as he returned to reality.

He glanced at Magma, who had a knowing look upon his face. "You like her, don't you?"

Flare was silent. He did not have an answer. Sure, she was beautiful, but he had just met her. He didn't know anything about her. And yet, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that drove him to want to meet her again.

Magma glanced in the direction Vixie had run off in. "Yeah, she's a fox," he spoke, 'fox' being the slang term for an attractive canine.

Flare followed his gaze, but Vixie had already disappeared around the corner. "Yeah…" he half-heartedly agreed. Flare was two years older than Magma, and was a little more mature than him. Flare knew that deep in his heart, there existed an attraction for this girl, but it felt different. Unlike Magma, Flare did not think with his hormones.

…

Flare had been in love before, but never like this.

As the day wore on, he couldn't stop thinking about her beautiful face and her kind demeanour. When he went to bed, he dreamed of talking to her and learning more about her. The next day arrived, and still his mind was distracted.

Presently, he was walking alongside the lake, enjoying the brisk spring air. The water sparkled majestically in the afternoon sunlight. It was certainly a beautiful landscape, like something out of a painting, or an illustration in a book. Flare saw many of the villagers lounging by the waterfront, relaxing and enjoying themselves. Flare smiled and continued walking.

He saw her. She was sitting underneath a large tree, staring out at the water. Flare's heart leapt when he saw her. Vixie looked as beautiful as she had the day before. She possibly looked even more beautiful. The light breeze ruffled the curly tufts of hair on her head, and caused her fur to sway. She looked like a maiden standing on a cliff, awaiting her prince. Flare shook his head to remove that ridiculous analogy. He was excited. Maybe he would get a chance to talk to her. Maybe she would open up to him, and they would become friends…

Or more…

He padded up behind her, feeling slightly nervous. He cleared his head and eased his mind. Flare was not one to get nervous easily, but something was different this time. "Hi! Is this seat taken?"

Vixie turned her head to greet the newcomer. "Oh, hello again!" she greeted him, and then after a pause said, "Flare, right?"

Flare nodded. "Yep! That's me"

Vixie smiled. That hypnotizing smile. "Sure, go ahead." Joyous fireworks went off in his heart as he sat down next to her. "I was just looking at the lake…it's beautiful!" she continued.

"I know what you mean…it's like a painting, isn't it?"

Vixie turned to look at him. "It's very pretty, very serene."

Flare kept his gaze towards the lake. He was afraid that if he were to look at Vixie he would space out again. Silence drifted for a few moments before Flare decided to get the conversation rolling. He wanted to know more about Vixie.

"So, uh…you just moved here?"

"Yes, we just finished unpacking."

"'We'? Who else?"

"My father. His name is Tephra and he's a Ninetales."

"Oh, that's nice."

"Yup, it's just us. I don't have brothers or sisters, I'm an only child. You?"

Flare's ears drooped and he cast his gaze downward. "I used to have a brother…but…not anymore"

Vixie turned to Flare and gave him a concerned look. "You mean?"

Flare nodded and tried to hold back tears. "He died when he was young."

"Oh, Flare. I'm so sorry…how awful." Flare nodded solemnly. Vixie continued, "No family should ever have to go through that. So, who do you live with?"

"No-one."

"Really? You moved out?"

"No…"

Vixie gasped. "Your parents…?"

"My dad died when I was a kit, and my mom died just last year." A single tear found its way to the ground. The air was silent for a few seconds.

"How terrible," Vixie lamented, "I'm sorry Flare. I didn't mean to strike a nerve."

"No, it's fine. You can't change the past, and I've accepted it."

"I know what you're feeling, Flare."

"Hm?"

"My mom also died."

"Really?"

"I probably cried for a month. It was the saddest moment in my entire life." Flare nodded. "But, my dad's always been there for me," she continued, "He's my best friend, and he's helped me cope."

"Yeah. Remember that Flareon, Magma? He's always been there for me. He's like the brother I never had."

"I guess you never can be alone, huh?"

More silence drifted over the scene. Flare was surprised. He hadn't expected the conversation to drift to such private matters so quickly. Flare decided to change the subject.

"So…do you…have a boyfriend?" Flare mentally kicked himself. That was a stupid question to ask. 'Now she thinks you just wanna mount her, you jerk!' he thought to himself.

Vixie glanced at Flare and cocked an eyebrow. She could see the mental argument he was having with himself. She giggled.

"What?" Flare questioned. Her giggle evolved into a full laugh. Flare was confused and afraid that he had said the wrong thing. Finally she spoke, "Flare, I know what this is all about."

Flare's heart sank. Oh no. Had he offended her?

"Wh- what are you talking about? I just thought I'd come over and talk to you, you know. Because you're new in town and I thought I'd get to know you better. It's a small town, and I like to-"

Flare's rambling speech was interrupted as Vixie put a paw over his mouth. She moved closer to him slightly. "Flare, I'm gonna be honest with you," she spoke, "I'd be lying if I said there wasn't some kind of attraction when I first laid eyes on you."

Flare's eyes widened. His mind blanked. Was she really saying what he thought she was saying?

"Flare, when I first saw you, I thought you were the most handsome Vulpix I'd ever seen."

Flare could hardly believe his ears. "Wow, Vixie. I…I felt the same way about you. That's why I blanked."

She giggled again. "You were so funny when you did that. Either way, I couldn't get you out of my head all day. I dreamt of meeting you again."

"No way! I did too."

"Really?"

"Yeah! I really wanted to talk to you. Learn more about you. I gotta say, Vixie…you're an amazing girl. You're beautiful, sweet, compassionate, and downright cute."

Vixie blushed. Flare's heart raced at the sight. "I'm…I'm flattered Flare. I was afraid you'd be like all the other boys…I was afraid you'd be selfish and overly-macho…most boys just wanna mount me and leave me…"

Flare glanced away. "Well…I hope I didn't give you that impression…"

Vixie smiled. "Not at all Flare. After speaking with you, I can see that you're deep. You're not afraid to show your feelings, and you seem very caring. Not to mention you look…well, you look stunning. There, I said it. I've got to say, Flare…I've never met a guy like you before."

Now, it was Flare's turn to blush. "I've…never met a girl like you before, either." The two turned to look at each other. Flare was lost in Vixie's sparkling sapphire eyes, and Vixie was lost in his Emerald ones. Flare could feel it. There was a deep connection between them. They had just met and had barely spoken, but Flare knew. He was more certain about this than anything in his entire life.

"Vixie," he spoke, "I think I'm falling in love with you." Flare glanced away. He had opened his heart to her. How would she respond?

"Flare," she spoke, "You're not the only one."

Flare's heart swelled with happiness and he smiled. This was the best thing he could've ever hoped for, and it had happened. Vixie liked him. She really did. And Flare liked her. He liked her unlike anyone he had ever met before.

"Vixie!" The voice was bold and masculine. It came from behind them. Both Vulpix turned around. "I thought I might find you here. Who's this?" Behind them stood a Ninetales. He had sleek white fur and a face that looked chiselled from stone. He stood tall on his strong legs as his nine tails fluttered in the wind.

"Hi, daddy! This is Flare! I met him yesterday. Flare, this is my father, Tephra."

Flare was suddenly very nervous. He had never had a good experience talking to girls' fathers. They were always overprotective of their daughters. Something about this strong, tall Ninetales told him not to expect anything different. But he held on to the hope. Maybe Tephra was nice.

"Hello! It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope you're enjoying the village!"

The Ninetales eyed him, and the two stared for a long time. Finally, he spoke in a very quiet, calm voice. "Well, hi Flare. I see you've met my daughter. Did you two chat? Oh, that's nice. I guess I should tell you something…" He paused for a second before suddenly shouting, "If you so much as lay a paw on my daughter, I will _kill_ you!"

Flare's ears drooped and his tails fell to the ground. Never mind, this guy was worse than the other parents he'd met. Much worse/

"Daddy!" Vixie exclaimed.

"Pumpkin, how many times do I have to explain this to you? I'm just looking out for what's best for you."

"But daddy, we were just _talking_! You don't have to embarrass me like that!"

Flare's mind faltered. This was not going well. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "Sir, please! I was honestly just talking to her. I'm not like all the other guys! I wasn't trying to hit on her, or anything!"

"Oh, really? I'd love to believe that!" Tephra retorted.

"Really sir, you have nothing to worry about."

"Sure, not now, but what's next for you, huh?"

Flare stalled. "Uh, I don't know…I was maybe gonna ask her to join me for a walk around the lake…I know this really neat place and it's really beautiful, and secluded, where you won't be bothered by anyone."

Silence reigned. Flare suddenly realized what he had just said. He had been referring to the viewpoint where you could see the whole lake. He was talking about how close to nature you feel when you're there.

Tephra's eye was twitching.

"Oh, no…that came out all wrong…I didn't mean it like that!"

And then, Tephra exploded. "YOU GET THE _FUCK_ AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!"

"Sir, I-"

"NOW!" Flare was feeling intimidated. He was losing this battle. And so, with one last fleeting glance at Vixie, he turned and ran.

"Daddy! What's wrong with you?" he heard over his shoulder. He shook his head as he ran, ashamed of himself. Everything had been ruined, just like always. Flare always managed to screw it up when it came to meeting the parents.

His heart felt like a black hole. Vixie had been different. There was something special about her. Finally, he came to a stop far away from his previous location. He approached a bench and sat upon it, dejected. He hung his head low. Vixie was beautiful. She was kind. She was compassionate. And, much to Flare's surprise and excitement, she had the same feelings toward him.

Now, all of that was probably ruined. Tephra would probably never allow him to see Vixie again. A nagging voice in the back of his mind told him that it didn't matter, and that this was just puppy love. But Flare knew. There was something special; a deep connection that they both felt. It almost seemed like destiny or fate. Flare had never truly been in love before. He had only dated girls before because his friends encouraged him or set him up. No girl he had ever met in his entire life made him feel this way. Just the thought of her made his heart melt. A tear rolled down his cheek.

"Flare?"

Flare's heart raced. His ears perked up. He knew that voice. His head darted around to find her. Vixie stood behind him in an alleyway, keeping to the shadows.

"Vixie?! Is that you?!" Flare exclaimed. She nodded. His broken heart began to rebuild itself. Within an instant, he hopped off the bench and was at her side. Once again he stared into those beautiful sapphire eyes.

"Flare, I'm really sorry about my father," she said, glancing to the ground, "Ever since mom died, he's been really protective of me. He just doesn't want me to get hurt…he doesn't want to lose me."

Flare understood. His mom had treated him the same way when his dad had died.

"I tried to explain to him that you really were nice…and trustworthy, but he wouldn't listen. He's a stubborn old fool. I…hope you don't hate me now."

Flare's heart ached. "Vixie…I could never hate you. Please, look at me. I want to see those beautiful eyes of yours."

Vixie blushed, surprised at the compliment, and returned her gaze to Flare.

"You feel it, don't you?" Flare ventured, "The connection? There's something there…I feel like we're meant for each other." Vixie nodded and Flare continued, "People always talk about finding 'the one'? Well…I think this is more. There's something about you Vixie. Something I just can't ignore…" he trailed off.

"You're…you're amazing, Flare. I feel drawn to you. I've never felt true love before…and, I'm feeling it right now."

"Me too, Vixie."

A tear rolled down Vixie's cheek. "I…really want to be with you, Flare. I don't want to leave you," she sobbed.

Flare's heart ached at the sight of her crying. "But, Vixie! We can be together! It doesn't matter what your father says! It's your life, and if you want to be with me, then no-one can stop you."

"You don't understand!" she wailed, "Daddy's forbidden me from ever seeing you again."

Flare's world shattered. "What?!" His worst nightmare had come true.

"That's why I'm hiding in this alley."

Flare's mind was spiralling out of control. It was exactly as he had feared. Silence fell as the two stared into each other's eyes. Flare could not bear to see the tears welling up in hers. "Vixie," he began, lifting a paw to wipe away her tears, "it doesn't matter. He can't forbid you from seeing someone you love. He just can't. I've never met anyone like you, Vixie, and I'm not going to let you go so easily. I'd be…well, I'd be devastated without you."

Vixie sniffled and gazed into his shining Emerald eyes. "Flare…"

"I love you, Vixie. I love your beauty, I love your compassion, and I love your innocence. I love everything about you." Vixie was speechless. "Just thinking about you builds my inner flame."

"Flare…I…I love you too. You're so sweet…and caring," she paused, "You're perfect."

That final statement was all the convincing Flare needed. His love for this girl was absolute, and it would never die. Not in a million years. Long after he was dead, he would still continue to love this girl. "You're perfect too, Vixie." The two smiled.

And then they kissed. It began as an innocent kiss of two young lovers that evolved into a deep, passionate kiss between two soul mates. Two hearts became one in that moment as Flare and Vixie expressed their true feelings for one another. True love had blossomed in the air. Flare closed his eyes and savoured the bliss of the kiss.

He had found his angel.

* * *

><p>"That's right! Our first kiss." Vixie was curled up under the blankets, listening to Flare reminisce about their first encounters.<p>

"Yeah, I remember it like it was yesterday." Flare said with an air of nostalgia. "It wasn't the most romantic location. Sorry I couldn't've picked a better spot."

Vixie nuzzled Flare's chest. "Flare, the location didn't matter to me. I was with you. I was kissing you. Nothing else in the world mattered."

"Aw, Vix. You just don't stop giving me reasons to love you." The two shared a quick kiss. "So, yeah…your father."

"How did we end up meeting again?"

"Well, let's see…it was that rainstorm."

"That's right…I guess my father didn't expect you to go out in the rain…"

* * *

><p>The heavens were crying bitter tears of rain all over the village. It was a very heavy rainstorm that kept most individuals indoors. Flare stood near the lake and stared out across the rippling water. It was truly a beautiful sight. The air smelled richly of the fresh scent of fallen rain, and the sound was mesmerizing. Flare sighed. This was his favourite pastime, and he was grateful for the opportunity.<p>

Normally, most fire types can not go out in the rain because it douses their inner flame. If one's inner flame is snuffed out completely, death was certain. However, Flare was good friends with an Espeon who lived in the village. She was skilled in psychic spells. So now, Flare stood in the middle of a furious rainstorm and was not wet at all. It was all thanks to the Espeon casting Barrier on him, preventing the raindrops from reaching him.

Desiring a change of scenery, Flare turned and began to walk into the heart of the village. Lights were lit in many of the houses, and the streets were deserted. It looked like everyone had been abducted by aliens. Flare glanced to the sky. The quarrelling black clouds mixed and mingled with each other above him. The rain continued to fall endlessly as Flare moved on. The constant sound resonated in his head. His finely tuned ears swivelled around to listen to the orchestra the rain was performing.

As he walked, he found himself somewhere familiar. Vixie's house. From across the road, he stared at it. His heart ached. He missed Vixie. He hadn't talked to her in a week. A few times he had seen her down the block, or across the road. However, every time he saw her, Tephra saw him. Tephra never left his daughter alone anymore, and it frustrated Flare. When Tephra saw that Flare was nearby, he immediately evacuated Vixie to a different location; away from Flare.

He desperately longed to see her and to talk to her. He wanted to sit beside her and talk for hours. He wanted to know everything about this girl. His desire was strong, but so was his apprehension.

Flare hated to admit it, but Tephra frightened him. Ninetales were the evolved forms of Vulpix. Not even his parents had evolved into Ninetales. They had both been Vulpix. He'd never met a Ninetales before, but he knew they were much stronger than he could ever hope to be. He stared at the house forlornly. He was exasperated at his desire to spend time with her, but Tephra was probably home, and he didn't want to run into him.

Suddenly, the front door opened. Flare gasped and ducked into a side street. Peeking around the corner, but staying hidden from view, he looked at the one exiting the house. It was Tephra. He shut the door behind him and began to walk down the street. Ninetales had better defence for their inner flame, and could walk safely in the rain.

Flare's heart leapt. Was Tephra leaving? Was Vixie in the house? Flare had so many questions. Tephra continued to walk away from the house and away from Flare. Tephra had not seen him. He moved quickly, probably disliking the rain. Flare contemplated the situation. Should he go to the house and see Vixie? What if Tephra was coming right back? His mind ached with indecision. If Tephra even found him at the doorstep, he would be killed. What should he do?

Flare knocked on the door. In the end, his common sense was no match for his heart's desire. He glanced around worriedly, always on the lookout for the Ninetales.

He heard a distant sigh inside. "What did you forget, daddy?" Flare smiled at Vixie's naivety. The door swung open. Vixie stood in the doorway. Flare watched in amusement as her expression turned from annoyance to shock. "Flare?" she stammered.

Wasting no time, he stepped inside and nuzzled her cheek affectionately. His heart was sending out fireworks of pure joy. He was with his angel again. The feel of her fur was enthralling.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I had to see you again, Vixie." He ceased his nuzzle and stared into her eyes once again. The familiar sparkling sapphires danced in his vision.

She still looked worried. "Flare, you're gonna get in so much trouble! My dad's gonna kill you!"

Flare proceeded to close the door with his tails. "I know. I really shouldn't be here, but I just couldn't stand being away from you."

Vixie's gaze softened. "Flare…I'm touched. I couldn't stand being away from you either. I would stay awake at night and stare at the stars, hoping for one to fall. I wished and wished. You have no idea how badly I wanted to see you…and now you're here."

"Vixie…" Flare muttered, his heart completely melted at the touching statement. "I love you. Every hour without you felt like a dagger through my heart. Words cannot express how happy I am that I'm with you right now." The two stared, lost in each other's gaze for a while, and then they kissed passionately.

As the kiss ended and Flare's euphoric mind returned to normal, he asked, "Where did your dad go? Do we have much time?"

Vixie smiled. "He told me he was going to the next town to talk to a friend. He said he'd be gone all day."

Flare smiled, overjoyed. "Fantastic…That's exactly what I wanted. Hours and hours of nothing but being with you." Vixie blushed. Flare smiled warmly. "You're cute when you blush." Her blush deepened and she glanced away. Flare couldn't stand it. Her cuteness was overwhelming. "May I say you look absolutely stunning today?"

"Thank you, Flare. You look beautiful too…" She stared up at him with a warm smile. Then she frowned. "Speaking of which, you're not wet. How did you get here? Isn't it still raining?"

"Aw, Vix. I would brave the toughest rainstorm just for you."

"Oh, Flare. That's the sweetest thing you've ever said. But isn't that dangerous? What about your inner flame?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm friends with an Espeon, and she knows Barrier."

Vixie's wide eyes subsided, "Oh. You had me worried."

Flare walked over to a couch and sat upon it. He gestured for Vixie to join him. She complied and sat facing him. They continued to gaze at one another. And then, Vixie decided to show her affection by rubbing her head against his chest. Flare smiled warmly at the gesture. He returned the favour by nuzzling the top of her head. The two closed their eyes and savoured the wondrous feeling of being together.

"Vixie," Flare whispered, "can you feel it? Our souls are one. It's like the universe is revolving around us." Vixie murred. "I don't want this moment to end. It's perfect." Flare and Vixie remained together for many minutes, their hearts intertwined in the loving embrace.

Hours passed and the couple talked and talked. The conversation drifted from their histories, their favourite things, their fears, their hopes and dreams, and their undying love for each other. Tears were shed and laughs were shared. Neither was ever bored and gave their unbroken attention as the other spoke.

Flare had opened his soul to Vixie completely, and Vixie had returned the favour. He told her things he would've never told anyone else before. He told her that his biggest fear was losing more loved ones, and that he one day hoped to start a family. He talked about how much he loved his parents, and cried on her shoulder when he spoke of their deaths. Vixie had responded by telling him that her greatest fear was losing her father. She dreamed of living the perfect life alone with the one she loved. Conflict or arguments never arose throughout the entire day. Flare thought for sure Vixie would disagree when he told her that he never wanted to evolve into a Ninetales. To his surprise, she agreed wholeheartedly.

The highlight of the night came when Vixie was talking about her mother. Vixie talked about her beautiful appearance, and her constantly pleasant demeanour. She spoke of her father's love for her, and for her own admiration and adoration of her. She reminisced about the day she fell ill. She lamented over how her condition rapidly deteriorated, despite everyone's best efforts, and how it was soon her final day on this world.

"I remember her looking up to me and smiling." Vixie had muttered, very close to tears, "H-her last words w-were…'Don't be sad Vixie. I love you, and I'll always be there'," she paused, sniffling, "'for you…'" And then she broke into hysterical tears. She laid down on the couch and cried into her paws.

Flare had found himself in a situation he'd never been in before. The sight of Vixie feeling so sad broke his heart. He couldn't stand to see her tears, so he knew he had to stop them. He had laid down so that his head rested right next to hers.

"Vixie," he had spoken, "please don't cry. Your mom was right. She'll always be there." He licked her cheek lovingly. "Just like I will."

She had sniffled and looked up at him, staring at him with those teary eyes. Flare had surprised himself with his dedicated promise, but he knew his heart was in the right place.

"Flare…"

"Vixie, I'll be there for you. It tears me up to see you so sad. So come on…give me a smile."

Vixie couldn't help but smile as she gazed at Flare's loving face. The two kissed, and the sadness ceased.

It was now late. The sun had long since disappeared over the ridge where the forest resided. Flare and Vixie now sat on the floor, more in love with each other than they had been when the day began.

Flare once again found himself lost in those beautiful sapphire eyes, which were beginning to droop. "Tired?" Flare questioned.

"A little bit. It's been a long day," Vixie responded.

"Well, I'd better leave. Your father could return at any moment."

Vixie glanced away in sadness. "I wish you didn't have to."

"Aw, I know, Vix. It pains me to leave your side, but it's for the best."

Vixie sighed. "I'd just love to cuddle up beside you and fall asleep in your embrace."

Flare blushed and said, "Soon, Vixie. Soon. We'll be together before long."

She smiled at him. "Okay. Goodnight Flare." She gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Goodnight Vixie." He copied her move. "I love you," he said to her.

"I love you too."

Moments later, Flare got up and walked out the door. His heart ached, but he knew it was for the best. He would see her again. He knew he would. He stared out into the night. The rain had just recently ceased, and the houses nearby were dripping the excess water.

Flare glanced up and down the street. His ears fell and his mind froze. Walking up the street was Tephra. His normally regal appearance sullied by his wet fur. Flare was panicking. His heart beat a thousand times a second. What was he going to do? Tephra couldn't see him yet because he was hidden from view, but if he tried to escape in any direction, he would be instantly visible. Tephra was approaching fast, probably in an effort to get into his warm house quickly. Flare's mind raced. He searched for escape options. Suddenly he had a brainwave.

He quickly laid down on the porch and pretended to be asleep. 'This had better work,' he said to himself. Flare sat silent and motionless as Tephra approached. He heard his heavy steps advance towards the house and step towards him.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing here?" Flare heard a powerful, demanding voice boom behind him.

"Hm? Wha?" he mumbled, pretending to wake up.

"I said, what the hell are you doing here?! I thought I told you to stay away from us!"

Flare rolled around to face Tephra. He suppressed laughter as he saw Tephra's wet fur and put on his best shocked expression. "Oh! Sir! I'm sorry! Is this your house?"

Tephra nodded and scowled at Flare.

Flare continued, "I'm sorry. I got caught in the rainstorm and I was looking for a dry place to sit. I was desperate, so I just picked a random house. I didn't know it was yours. I'm really sorry."

Tephra eyed Flare, weighing the situation. Tephra wasn't sure whether or not he could trust this story. Flare prayed silently. "I didn't see you here when I left," Tephra said simply.

Suddenly Flare realized there was a hole in his lie. Tephra left _during_ the rainstorm. "Uhh, yeah. I must've just got here after you left," Flare stammered, "I was trying to make it home. I was trying to tough it out through the rain, but I didn't make it…" The two stared at each other for a few tense seconds.

Tephra sighed and glanced away. "Fine. Get out of my sight," he muttered. Flare celebrated in his mind.

"Thanks sir. I won't bother you again." He said as he got up and ran off.

Flare was breathing heavily as he ran down the street. His nerves were shot. Tephra was extremely intimidating. But, the plan had worked and now he was home free. His heart fell as he imagined that this kind of ridiculousness would probably continue for a while, but deep within he knew that is was all worth it. He smiled as he remembered the day. He thought of Vixie's cute laugh, her loving gaze, and her luscious fur. She truly was perfect, and it put a bounce in Flare's step as he returned home.

…

"Awesome, bro! You snagged yourself a hottie, eh?"

Flare rolled his eyes at the expected response from Magma. "She's not a 'hottie', Mag. She's a beautiful girl and I really like her."

"Whatever, dude. I saw those wall-eyes you made when you first saw her."

"But she's more than that! In the short time we've known each other, we've really bonded! There's a true connection between us, and we both feel it."

Magma eyed Flare with curiosity. "Really, now?" he responded.

"Yeah…" Flare said, "There's just something different about her. I get this feeling like I've never felt before." He paused and glanced at Magma. "I'm in love."

Magma smiled, and seemed to shed his tough exterior. "That's great, Flare. Way to go."

Flare also smiled. "We talked for hours. She has these beautiful sapphire eyes that just hypnotize me. She's so kind, and she seems delicate. I feel this deep attraction to her, and I feel physical pain when we're away."

"She sounds dreamy bro," Magma responded, glancing to the sky. "I wish I could find someone like that." Silence reigned for a few moments before Magma returned to earth. "She likes you too?"

"She's in love with me. She said so herself. Man, just thinking about her makes my heart melt. She's like a soul mate. You know I told her about mom and dad only the second time we met?"

Magma was surprised. "Are you serious? You never told that Leafeon girl, and you two went out for weeks!"

"I know…her mom died too. It's that connection. We can talk to each other about stuff. She's…perfect." Flare sighed, "I'm glad I found her."

"Well," Magma responded, "I'm sure she's ecstatic she found you." The two sat in silence for a minute before Magma continued with his questions. "So, how many times have you gone out with her?"

"Well…that's the thing…none."

"Huh? Now you've got me confused."

Flare then delved into the story of his encounter with Vixie at the lake, where he had met Tephra. "She told me that he had forbidden her to ever see me again." Flare concluded.

Magma responded, "Wow. Harsh! Yena's parents hated me, but they never went as far as to forbid her from seeing me."

Flare nodded solemnly. "We've been meeting each other in secrecy whenever we can. A week ago, I went to her house while her father was out of town. Just recently, she snuck off to my house pretending to shop for groceries. It's like a fairy tale romance."

"That seems like a lot of trouble."

"But it's worth it."

"Your heart is truly set on this girl, eh?"

"We kissed on our second encounter." More minutes of silence floated over the scene.

"Well, what are you going to do about big bad daddy?"

"I really don't know. He doesn't have the patience to listen or the sense to trust…" The two pondered the conundrum.

"I think," Magma suggested, "the only true way to gain a stubborn father's trust is to do something extraordinary that really shows your true feelings."

Flare rolled this around in his mind. "What would that be?" he asked.

"I don't know," Magma responded, "but when you know, you'll know."

* * *

><p>"And it was a beautiful and touching thing you did Flare. I don't thank you enough for what you did."<p>

* * *

><p>Flare was spending the bright, sunny day walking through the outskirts of the village. He was walking by a nearby wood, much smaller than the thick forest on the ridge. It was a quaint forest that housed a sense of innocence and purity. Flare loved walking here. He planned to take Vixie here for a romantic getaway one day. He continued walking along, enjoying the thick scent of pine. His mind temporarily entered a state of euphoria as he felt closer to nature.<p>

As he walked, he reminisced about the previous week. On Tuesday, he had seen Vixie walking the streets alone. He had walked up beside her and the two began talking again. However, Tephra showed up and yelled at him. Flare shuddered at the words.

"I keep telling you to leave us alone!"

And then on Thursday, Vixie had surprised him with another covert visit to his house. The two had spent the whole day delving further into each other's lives, admiring each other and kissing. It had been a wonderful day. It had had a warm, fuzzy feel to it, and Flare had constantly found himself staring lovingly at this beautiful girl who had found her way into his life.

Flare presently came across a creek and crossed it by stepping on stones. He was nearing the village. He decided to pause and take one more deep breath through his nose. The delicious scent of the babbling brook combined with the thick scent of the forest and created a plethora of smells. He closed his eyes and savoured the natural feeling that swelled within him.

And then, he caught another scent. It was a vaguely familiar scent, one he had smelled before. It was not thick or rich, but it carried an organic trace within it. Flare's brain analyzed it. It was not someone he knew, but more of a general scent applied to a group of individuals. As Flare followed the scent, it grew stronger.

Soon, he recognized it. Ferals. They were creatures that were once like Flare who could talk and think logically. However, these beasts had lived in isolation for too long, so their minds had reverted to an animal-like state, which was known as 'Going Feral.' Ferals were dangerous. They were wild and unpredictable, and often attacked anyone who came near them. Ferals this close to the village was never a good sign, but Flare knew the proper individuals would take care of it.

He was about to walk away when his finely tuned ears picked up a distant cry. It was a pained cry, and it sounded desperate. Flare turned his gaze in the direction of the cry. Was someone in trouble? Were the ferals attacking someone? Now Flare was worried. What should he do? His mind wrestled with the indecision.

"Help!" The cry was just as distant, but now that Flare was facing the proper direction, he could hear it clearly,

And he recognized the voice.

"Vixie!"

Instantly he was off and running. His mind focused on one thing and one thing alone. Vixie was in trouble, and he had to help. His heart ached at the thought of her being hurt, but the thought also fanned his inner flame. Cross determination was upon his face as he dashed faster than he thought he could. He summated hills and leapt fallen logs as he approached his destination.

Another cry erupted in the air. This one was definitely out of pain, and it only made Flare run faster.

Finally, he came upon a glade. He saw the scene before him. Vixie was sprawled on the ground, sporting a large gash along her side. Two feral Houndour stood over her, their black fur glistening in the sunlight. Their glares were emotionless, and their eyes showed no soul within. They had their teeth bared, and one had its paw on Vixie, preventing her escape.

Vixie's eyes were clenched shut and her face showed distress as she desperately tried to free herself. The Houndour growled. Vixie opened her fearful eyes. Vixie was beyond panicking.

"Flare!" Vixie had spotted him. "Flare! Help!" she exclaimed, her voice pleading.

The two Houndour turned their heads and regarded the newcomer. They growled and gave menacing looks. Flare was not intimidated. He growled back at them and spit a fireball into the air. The three stared down each other for many tense seconds. Flare knew his way around a battle. He knew one of the biggest mistakes was making the first move.

One of the Houndour, the one not holding Vixie, lunged. Flare's lightning quick reflexes allowed him to swiftly dodge to the right and release a Flamethrower at the Houndour. It grunted from the attack, but the damage was minimal. Houndour were also imbued with fire.

Flare did not back down, however. He built his inner flame with his anger and unleashed a Fire Spin. The hungry flames surrounded his foe and engulfed it. This time, the Houndour tried to escape the attack, but all of his exits were cut off by the circling flames. It cried out in pain as the flames lapped at its body. Flare smirked. That actually did some damage. Fire Spin was the most powerful move he knew. As the flames died down, his foe was revealed to him. It had been damaged, but it still stood defiant with a raging look in its eyes. The fight was not over.

Flare was suddenly knocked to the ground by something hot. He stared upwards, searching for the source of the Ember. The other Houndour had blindsided him. Flare grunted in frustration as he leapt to his feet. He swiftly moved to somewhere where he could see the both of them. Two on one was definitely not fair.

Flare glanced at Vixie. She stared helplessly at him with pleading eyes. His inner flame grew, as did his anger. "Let her GO!" he shouted before ramming full speed into the stomach of the Houndour holding Vixie. Flare managed to upset its balance and free Vixie.

However, as it was falling, it swiped it claw at Flare, catching him on the cheek. He fell to the ground dazed. He groaned and opened his eyes. His jaw ached and he felt blood trickle down his face. To his relief, he saw Vixie running away to somewhere safe. However, to his immediate disappointment, the Houndour had left Flare and were now pursuing Vixie. Flare was instantly on his feet and following them.

He saw Vixie turn her head back. He saw the terror in her wide eyes. He saw tears streaming from them. He saw the gash on her side and how truly bad she had been injured. His blood boiled. His inner flame roared. How dare these heartless creatures attack his angel? The mere sight of Vixie in pain broke his heart. These two were going to pay.

He quickly made eye contact with Vixie and indicated that he wanted her to turn left. She nodded and made a sharp left, catching her pursuers off guard. Flare immediately altered course so that he would intercept the two feral Houndour. They didn't see him coming, and continued to chase poor Vixie. She was beginning to pant, so he had to act fast.

"Hey!" he said, quickly grabbing their attention. They both turned their heads, only to see Flare's Fire Spin surround them. It wasn't very powerful, but it stopped them in their tracks. When the attack was over, they were lightly damaged, but extremely angry. They glared at Flare. Using this opportunity, Vixie ran towards Flare and hid behind him. Now Flare truly felt like the knight in shining armour that Vixie had described him as, and his inner flame grew even more.

"Bastards…" he spat at the ferals. He thought of the way they had attacked her. He thought of her injury, and her paralyzing fear. His inner flame roared and grew exponentially. Flare now felt like he was ready to burst and so, before the two could attack him, he released the flames.

A substantial amount of brilliant orange fire erupted from Flare's muzzle. The bright flames flew quickly through the air, forming the shape of a star. The Houndour had one brief second to look frightened before the powerful flames smashed into them. The force of the flames was immense and it knocked them back many feet. They fell to the ground unconscious. Flare panted.

His first Fire Blast.

* * *

><p>Flare's story was interrupted by a surprise kiss from Vixie.<p>

"Thanks again, Flare. You saved my life. You really were, and still are, my knight."

Flare smiled. "You should thank yourself. It was only because of my love for you that I was able to pull off that Fire Blast."

Vixie blushed. "I just remember looking up from cowering behind you to see you launching that attack…you looked so handsome. You had your chest thrust out and your fur was ruffling in the wind…and your eyes."

"What about them?"

"Your beautiful emerald eyes. That just showed me how brave you truly were…"

* * *

><p>Flare turned to Vixie. "Are you all right?"<p>

Vixie was still panting heavily. "Flare, I…"

"Shhh…Don't worry Vixie. It's all right."

She nodded. "You're right…it is all right…because you're here."

Flare's heart warmed as he saw her eyes shine like brilliant sapphires. The two shared a brief kiss before Flare said, "Come on. We'd better get back to the village." Vixie agreed, and the two stood up. However, Flare was instantly alerted to another presence. Someone was approaching from the direction of the village. The two turned their heads to view the newcomer. It was a Ninetales.

"Vixie! Where are you?" Tephra's voice exclaimed. Apparently, he had heard Vixie's cries for help. Flare selfishly allowed himself a bit of pride for being first on the scene.

Soon, Tephra caught sight of the two, and dashed towards them. "Vixie! There you are! Are you all right?" he said as he approached. His expression quickly changed from relief to worry as he saw the large gash on her side. "Oh! Vix! What happened?" He surveyed the scene, noting the two KO'd Houndour and Flare. Tephra's face now sported an angry expression. Flare's heart sank. He knew what Tephra was thinking.

"What the fuck did you do to her?!"

'Here we go,' Flare muttered to himself. "Tephra, I didn't do anything, it was-"

"YOU SHUT UP!" Flare was suddenly on the ground with his neck being held in place by Tephra's powerful front paw.

Vixie screamed. "Daddy, no! Stop! Don't hurt him!" she exclaimed, rushing up to her father, "Daddy, he _saved_ me! Those two ferals attacked me. Flare just saved my life."

Tephra turned to look at her, confused. "He what?!"

Flare shut his eyes and gritted his teeth. He could barely breathe. "Teff…please…" he managed to wheeze out.

Tephra returned his gaze to Flare as he released him. Flare inhaled as much air as he could. He then stood up and stared into Tephra's confused eyes. "You…saved her?"

Flare nodded.

Tephra turned to gaze at the two downed ferals. "You mean, you…"

"Yes, Tephra."

Tephra turned from Flare to Vixie to the ferals, unsure what to think.

"Daddy, he-"

"That's enough, Vix. We'd better get you home. You're hurt. Come on." Tephra interrupted. He laid on the ground and indicated for her to get on his back. Vixie stole one more fleeting glance at Flare before she climbed on. She rested her head in her father's soft fur, visibly exhausted. Tephra stood up, observed Flare for several tense moments, and dashed off towards town.

Flare just stood there. He watched the two quadrupeds rush off into the distance. He wasn't sure what to think. He didn't know if this was a victory or a loss. Tephra was an enigma. He had rescued his daughter from being killed, and it only confused him.

Flare shook his head and smiled. Tephra was a stubborn old fool, and both Flare and Vixie knew that. He would get through to her father, one way or another. Right now, he was battered, bruised and exhausted. But Vixie was safe, and Flare could not be thankful enough.

A sound caught Flare's ears. He turned his head to the origin. The two Houndour were waking up. They both opened their eyes and lifted their heads, dazed and confused. They caught sight of Flare and stared at him.

Flare smiled. "Boo," he said simply.

The Houndours' eyes widened and instantly they were on their feet and fleeing.

…

"Dude! Are you serious?!" Magma was incredulous. Flare had been telling him the story of last week's events.

"Yep. Two feral Houndour, and I took 'em down."

"Wow! That's amazing. What were you doing fighting ferals?"

"They were attacking Vixie!"

Magma paused. "Really? Was she hurt?"

"She got cut up a bit, but I saved her from further harm."

"Dude! That's excellent! That's like the best thing you can do to win her love."

Flare scoffed. "I don't need to win her love, man! I've already got it."

"Still! She's gonna look up to you now and think of you as a knight."

Flare beamed. "Yeah…I'm just glad she's safe."

"Of course! Good job, bro!"

The two were sitting in Flare's living room, enjoying the evening. Flare hadn't seen hide nor hair of Vixie since the incident, and it pained his heart. "Hey, you know what the best thing about it is?" he spoke.

"What?"

"After the fight, Tephra showed up."

"Who's Tephra?"

"Her father."

"Oh yeah! Dude! Did he see you fight?"

"No, but Vixie told him what had happened."

"That's excellent! He's sure to trust you now."

"Yeah, you'd think so…but he only looked…confused. Like he was asking himself why I had done it."

Silence floated over the room. "Screwball…" Magma muttered.

"Hey! He's just overprotective of his daughter…Just like mom was…" The mood turned solemn.

"Right…sorry bro…"

"Don't worry, Mag. It's just…I know exactly how Tephra feels…"

Magma nodded.

Outside, the sun was setting. The room was bathed in an orange glow. Flare stared out the window at the evening landscape. His mind wandered and he thought of Vixie. He wondered if she was feeling better. He wondered if she could sleep at night. Maybe she needed a companion.

"So, Flare. You want more berry juice?" Flare didn't respond. "Flare!"

"Huh? What?"

"Dude! You keep drifting off into la-la land."

"Sorry…My mind's kinda preoccupied."

Magma gave Flare a knowing look. "You're thinking about her, aren't you?"

"Yeah…" Flare muttered, his voice laced with heart ache.

"Boy, you _really _love her, don't you?" Flare could only nod. "Well, bro…wherever she is right now, you can bet she's thinkin' of you."

That made Flare smile. Vixie was out there somewhere, and she still loved him.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The Vulpix and Flareon's ears perked up and they turned their heads to the door.

"Company?" Magma inquired.

Flare shrugged and got up, padding over to the door. He opened it.

"Flare!" Suddenly he was pinned on the ground, locked in a tight embrace.

"Vixie! Wha? What are you doing here?" Flare could say no more before Vixie kissed him. It was a very passionate kiss that severed his link to reality. Questions had been in his mind, such as why she was here, how she got permission to come, and if she was all right. However, as she kissed him, none of those questions mattered anymore. Vixie was here with him, embracing him and kissing him.

The kiss ended abruptly. Flare opened his eyes and saw Vixie looking forwards with an embarrassed look upon her face. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't know you had guests."

Flare smiled and chuckled inwardly. He'd forgotten about Magma.

"Oh, that's okay. I was just leaving," came Magma's pleasant voice.

Vixie released Flare from her hug and allowed him to stand up. "I remember you!" Vixie proclaimed, "You were with Flare when I first moved here."

"Yup!"

"You're…wait, don't tell me…Magma, right?"

"That's correct."

Vixie smiled. The same pleasant smile that made Flare's heart melt. "Well it was nice meeting you again. I'm sorry you have to leave."

"Maybe another time! See ya, Flare!"

Flare and Magma locked eyes and Flare silently mouthed the words "Thank you," to him.

Magma smiled, winked, and rushed out the door.

Flare turned his gaze to the beautiful Vulpix that stood before him. His heart was shooting off fireworks of pure happiness. "Wow, Vixie! What a pleasant surprise."

Vixie blushed and looked downward. "Again, sorry. I didn't know you had company."

"Eh, don't worry about Mag. He's cool."

Vixie chuckled. Flare couldn't help but smile as well. Flare couldn't take his overflowing love any more. He stepped forwards and nuzzled her cheek, his mind losing grip on reality again as he felt her soft fur upon his once again. "I'm so happy to see you Vixie."

"Me too."

"What are you doing here? I have so many questions!"

Vixie gazed at him with her beautiful blue eyes. "I'm pretending to be at a sleep-over with my friend. I told her all about you, so she was willing to help."

Flare's eyes widened at the word 'sleep-over'. "Wait, you mean…?" Vixie smiled and nodded. Flare couldn't contain his joy. Vixie was staying at his house for the night. They could sleep together. They could cuddle, and talk, and reminisce.

"Well, come on in! Welcome to _chez_ Flare!" Flare walked over to the couch and sat upon it.

Vixie joined him. The two locked eyes. "I missed you Flare. You have no idea how much I wanted to see you."

Flare thought about the recent events. "Tell me something. What did Tephra say? What did he think after I saved you?"

Vixie rolled her eyes. "Ugh, he's so stubborn! He thinks you set up the whole thing just so you could look heroic in front of my eyes."

Flare groaned, appalled. Tephra was starting to irritate him. "So, I haven't proven myself to him yet?"

Vixie shook her head. "I'm afraid not…although you did make him question his judgement a bit. Whenever I talk about how you saved me, he ends the conversation and goes somewhere quiet to think." The two sat in silence and thought about the implications.

"Whatever, Vixie. It doesn't matter. You see, you're here now. True love will always win, and that's what we share." The two met in a loving gaze, and then moved towards each other slowly. The kiss that erupted was the most passionate one either of them had ever experienced. Flare's whole body mellowed out. His eyes closed and his ears drooped. The world did not exist anymore. It was only the two of them.

The evening passed and the two enjoyed each others' company. They talked and laughed, never growing bored. Soon, the light of the day was completely gone. The fireplace there was burning brightly and the two were sitting in front of it. Flare had his paws over Vixie's and they were tail-snuggling.

"Flare?" Her voice was minute and wispy, as if she were lost in thought.

"Hm?" he replied.

"This feels…this feels right."

Flare turned to gaze at her beautiful figure. Her eyes were transfixed upon the fire, but her mind seemed a million miles away. "How so?"

"Here…with you…in your house. Us just sitting here, enjoying each other. It feels right, doesn't it? Like…it was meant to be."

Flare smiled warmly. He felt the same way. 'One day,' the thought to himself, 'that day will come.'

Vixie then rolled onto her side and laid her head in Flare's lap. Flare gazed at her drunken eyes. She was either really tired, or deeply in love. Flare couldn't tell. "I love you, Flare. This is just…perfect." Flare couldn't agree more.

"Well, Vix. It's getting late. What do you say we go to bed?" Vixie gazed up at him, smiling. After they both got up, Flare padded over to his bed and hopped on top.

Vixie stood where she had been lying and looked to him. "So…" she began, "where should I sleep?"

Flare smiled. "Well, Vix, I've only got one bed. Come here, Vixie. You can sleep with me."

She smiled and began to advance. However, something crossed her mind and she stopped. She gazed at him with a mix of concern and intrigue. "Uhh, Flare? Does this mean…umm…"

Flare cocked his head in confusion. "What's wrong, Vixie?"

"Well…are you…do you…?" She was tripping over her words, visibly flustered.

"What's the problem, Vix? Don't you wanna sleep with me?" As soon as he had said, "Sleep with me," Vixie averted her eyes and, suddenly, Flare knew what was troubling her. "Oh, Vix…are you thinking about…" he couldn't finish the sentence.

Flare winced inwardly. He had always tried to avoid this topic. With previous girlfriends, mating had always managed to screw up the relationship. He did not want to mate with Vixie until she was sure she was ready. Flare didn't care how long that took. He loved Vixie for who she was, not because she was a 'Fox,' as Magma had described her. However, the question now was; did _Vixie_ want to mate with _him_?

"Er…why? Did you…want…" he inquired, slowly.

Vixie glanced away with a troubled expression. "Well, I mean…if you wanted to, then I guess…I guess we could…"

Flare sighed with relief. He knew what was going on. Vixie was concerned with what Flare wanted, not what she wanted. She wanted to please him. He softened his gaze and stepped off the bed, padding over to her. She glanced at him and he smiled at her.

"Vixie," he said in a low voice, almost a whisper, "don't worry about it. It's not important to me. I love you, Vixie. I love you deeper than any love I've ever felt before, and it's all for you. It doesn't matter to me whether we mate or not, either way I still love you." To prove his point he kissed her again. He could almost feel her worry and doubt wash away.

When their kiss ended, Vixie smiled lovingly at Flare. "Thank you, Flare. I probably should've told you before, but I'm still a virgin…"

Flare's eyes widened as he received this new nugget of information. That helped explain some of Tephra's over protectiveness. "Really?" he asked coyly.

She nodded and blushed.

"Well," he continued, "whenever you're ready, I'll be there for you. Don't rush it, and don't worry about what I want. It's all about _you_." He nuzzled her cheek. "I'm here for you Vixie."

Seconds later, the two were in Flare's bed. They snuggled up against each other, with Flare curving around Vixie. He draped his front paw over her and nuzzled her head softly. Their tails grasped one another. Flare couldn't have been happier. This loving embrace melted his heart.

"Sweet dreams, Vixie."

"Goodnight, Flare. I love you."

"I love you too."

If Flare had been offered eternal life, infinite money, perpetual health and never-ending happiness in exchange for leaving Vixie's side, he would've declined. Nothing could've made that moment more perfect. It was as if the essence of their pure love was in the air, and they drank it in. Flare listened to the steady sound of Vixie's breathing, and eventually fell asleep embracing her. His dreams were only of her.

* * *

><p>"I'll never forget that night Flare."<p>

* * *

><p>The two awoke to the sound of heavy knocking. Flare blinked his eyes groggily. The morning sun shone through his window. He yawned.<p>

Vixie stirred. "Who's there?" she muttered, half-asleep.

Flare shook his head to clear his mind. "I don't know, Vix. Let's go see." The two sat up and stepped onto the floor. They both shook their fur into place and yawned once more.

Flare found himself once again entranced by Vixie's beautiful sapphire eyes. "Well, good morning, beautiful."

"Morning," she replied.

"Did you sleep well?"

She murred. "It was the best sleep I'd ever had in my entire life. I wish I could spend every night like this."

Flare smiled, drunk with love.

A furious knocking returned him to his senses. "Just a minute!" he called out. "Damn! He's gonna break my door down," he muttered. Moments later, the two were downstairs. Flare moved to the door and Vixie entered the kitchen. Flare yawned one more time before opening the door.

His heart skipped a beat. "Oh…Hi, Tephra. What a pleasant surprise."

"Cut the crap, where is she?"

Flare's ears drooped unconsciously. His heart beat quickly. Tephra was staring down at him, with fire in his eyes. Flare felt extremely intimidated by the large Ninetales that stood outside his doorway. He panicked. What should he say? What should he do?

Flare saw Tephra glance behind him. His hopes of hiding Vixie died on the spot.

"Oh, shit!" came the voice from behind him. Vixie had apparently left the kitchen and walked right into Tephra's view.

"Vixie! What the hell are you doing here?" Tephra boomed.

"Daddy! I could ask you the same question!" Vixie responded, getting defensive.

"Imagine my surprise when I go to Ivy's house to find you not there."

"What? Did Ivy spill the beans?"

"No, but her mother did. You lied, Vixie." Tephra's eyes glared at Vixie, and then at Flare. "With anyone else I'd let it slide, but…" Tephra didn't need to finish the sentence.

Flare desperately wished a hole would open up in the ground and swallow him. He went into a submissive pose. His ears splayed against his back and his six tails were tucked between his back legs. Flare was afraid of Tephra. He hated to admit it, but Tephra scared him.

"Sir, I-" he began.

"You know what?! Don't even bother! I oughta rip all the limbs from your body!" Tephra was so flustered he was stumbling over his words. "You don't even…I can't believe…the audacity…fuck, I mean…"

"Daddy!"

"No, Vixie! This bastard is no good. You can't trust him. Now get the fuck out of his house. Now!"

"Daddy, please!"

Tephra returned his piercing glare to Flare. "You're lucky I have so much self-control. I want to kill you. How…dare…you mate…with my daughter…"

Flare gasped. This was worse than he thought.

"What? No, daddy! We weren't-"

"DON'T GIVE ME EXCUSES! EITHER OF YOU!" Tephra's voice echoed through the house.

Flare was slowly backing away from the large canine. His breathing was quick, and his heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest.

"Come on, Vixie. We're going home." There was silence for a few moments.

"No."

Flare's ears perked up. What had Vixie just said?

"Young lady, you don't have a choice. Come!"

"No, daddy!" Vixie padded over and stood between Flare and Tephra. "I'm old enough to choose for myself now. I choose to stay with Flare." Tephra was speechless. "Daddy, I love Flare. There, I said it. He's unlike anyone I've ever met before. I'd rather stay here, thank you very much." She proved her point by sitting down and staring at her father defiantly.

Flare was shocked and touched. Vixie was going through all this trouble just to stay with him. His admiration for her grew even more.

"God damnit, Vixie! He just took your virginity! You can't trust a male like that!" Tephra responded, visibly flustered.

Vixie shook her head. "No, he didn't. I'm still a virgin daddy. I just slept in the same bed as Flare, and we cuddled and nuzzled, and the thought of mating never crossed his mind. He's special daddy. He's different. You can trust him." Vixie's voice was approaching pleading now. Flare could only stand behind her and watch his true love defend him. It warmed his heart.

Tephra glared at the two of them, unable to speak. He contemplated what Vixie had said to him. Flare gazed at Tephra's flustered face. He found the same sapphire eyes as Vixie had. They sparkled like hers did.

Finally, Tephra moved. He turned around and began to walk out the door. The young couple gasped. Where they home free? Flare's heart began to race again, this time with excitement. Was Tephra really leaving without Vixie?

His hopes were suddenly dashed as Tephra swiftly moved his nine tails around Vixie. In one quick motion, he gently picked her up and began to carry her with his tails. She was not being hurt, but she could not escape.

"Hey! Daddy! Put me down!"

"No, Vixie. We're going home. I'm sorry, but you don't have a choice." Tephra's voice was low, and it had lost its authority.

Flare stood up and began to pad after them.

"Leave us alone, Flare," Tephra said without looking back, "just…leave us alone. Forget about her. It's for the best."

Flare could only stare after them with a pained expression.

"What? No! Daddy! No!" Vixie exclaimed, verging on tears. She struggled to escape her fathers grasp, but it was no use. She looked to Flare and extended her paws, reaching out to him. "Flare! Flaaaare!" she wailed.

Flare's heart broke into a million pieces as he watched her be carried away. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He could barely think.

"Flare! I love you!" was the last thing she shouted before they disappeared from view.

Flare simply stood there and stared at where they had been. His mind was broken. He couldn't function. He was lost in an abyss of hopelessness.

"I love…you too…" he whispered. Tears began to stream from his eyes. In the distance he heard a faint wailing. It was Vixie, and she sounded heart-broken, as if a family member had died. It was the saddest crying Flare had ever heard, and it only pushed him over the edge.

He collapsed in his doorway and cried. He had lost all hope. His mind fell into a dark, swirling abyss. Tephra had made it perfectly clear that he would never accept Flare Vixie had stood up and defied him, and he had just whisked her away.

The morning sun shone across the sky, and the world awoke, but Flare was dead to it all. Others walking by would stare at him, but he didn't have the will to care. His heart was broken, and he felt like nothing could heal it. He could not see anything but the endless darkness surrounding his heart. He could not hear anything but his own wails. He could not feel anything but pain or sorrow.

"Flare?"

Flare's ears perked up and he raised his head to view the origin of the voice. It was Magma, and he had a concerned look upon his face. Flare's vision was blurred with tears.

"Flare, I heard yelling, so I came back to investigate."

Flare couldn't talk. He couldn't respond in any way. His mind barely recognized his best friend standing before him.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

Flare only buried his head in his paws again.

He heard Magma lean down next to him. "Come on, Flare. Let's go inside. We'll talk about this." Flare almost did not register what had been said. His mind was overflowing with images of Vixie and her angry father. He was so upset he began to shiver. "Oh, man, Flare. What did he do to you?"

It took five minutes to get Flare up on his feet and into his house. Flare moved like a zombie, his gaze blank. Magma stayed close by the entire time, concerned for his friend. After another five minutes of silence, Flare felt himself returning to Earth. His mind arranged the jigsaw pieces and the world returned to focus. He had calmed down.

Flare proceeded to tell Magma the events of the morning. Magma listened in silence. "The…look on her face as he carried her away…It pierced my heart. I've never seen anyone so heartbroken before. I could hear her wailing in agony in the distance. That's…when I lost it."

Magma nodded at the conclusion of his story. "Damn, Flare. Tephra's a real bitch, ain't he?" Flare's ears drooped and he gazed away. "No, Flare. He really is! He's a jerk and he's lost touch with reality! He's gone mental! Don't feel sorry for him!"

Flare did not respond. Magma sighed. "Come on, bud! He's told you before that you can't see Vixie. That's never stopped you before."

"This time was different somehow. Before, he was just acting protective and not thinking about what he was saying. But this time…you should've heard him. His voice was quiet…almost pleading. It's like he was begging me. 'Leave us alone, Flare. Forget about her. It's for the best'" Flare gazed downward in sadness.

The two sat in silence for a minute. "I think we both know you'll never forget about her, right?" Magma ventured.

Flare glanced at his friend and nodded.

"I say you should just go see her again. It's obvious she wants to be with you."

Flare only shook his head. "I don't want to see his face again," he said softly, "maybe he's right. Maybe it is for the best…"

Flare reeled back in pain. His cheek ached sharply. Magma had smacked him. "Ah! Shit! What the hell was that for?" Flare exclaimed.

"I don't ever want to hear you talking like that again," Magma responded, his white, fluffy fur bristling. "Flare, you've found someone special. Someone most people only dream about," As he said this, his crimson eyes softened. "People like me…" he continued, quietly, "A fairy tale romance only comes along once in a blue moon, Flare. You can't give it up. You'll never forgive yourself. You'll never be happy again."

Flare also softened his gaze and looked at Magma.

Magma glanced away. "I'm still looking, Flare. I'm still looking for my Happily Ever After. I may never find it, but I'll keep looking." He paused. "Flare, you've already found yours. You're one lucky bastard."

"Magma…"

Magma returned his gaze to Flare with renewed passion in his eyes. "Don't let her go, Flare. Don't let her slip from your grip. She's your Happily Ever After, and you're hers. There will be people in this world like Tephra, who don't understand, but you know. She knows. I know. You two truly were meant for each other."

Flare could only stare at the Flareon. He had never heard a pep talk like that before. "Wow, Mag…"

Magma smiled at him. "Don't give up, Flare. You'll find her. She'll be waiting for you."

Flare finally smiled. He realised that Magma was right. Tephra simply didn't understand, and had no will to listen. But it didn't matter. All that did was his love for Vixie. "Thank you, Magma."

"No problem, tiger."

"And don't worry. I think everyone has a Happily Ever After out there somewhere."

Magma nodded and smiled.

* * *

><p>Flare glanced to the ground sadly. "But I never saw you again for a whole month. Your father kept you hidden away."<p>

Vixie sighed. "I cried every night, Flare. I would open my window and howl at the moon, hoping you'd answer."

Flare smiled.

"Dad acted differently after that day. He barely talked to me, and he ignored me when I talked about you. I'd yell that I wished I was with you, I'd plead for him to let me see you, I'd scold him for treating you so badly, but he never responded."

Flare studied the floor solemnly. "I can't tell you how much I missed you Vixie. I didn't feel whole."

"Flare, I felt dead inside without you. It was the worst month of my life."

"So, how did that month come to an end again?"

Vixie sat in thought for a minute. "Didn't you say you talked to him, or something?"

"Oh, yeah…"

* * *

><p>Flare sat under the overhanging roof of a house at the top of the hill. From this vantage point, he could see the whole village. He did not know whose house it was, but no-one was home.<p>

It didn't matter to Flare. He was shivering profusely. His eyes were shut and his teeth were clenched. The cold overwhelmed his entire body. The downpour had come out of nowhere and taken Flare by surprise. Within seconds, he had been drenched from head to paw. Seconds later, he found himself taking shelter under the roof of this stranger's house. His fur was still dripping wet and he felt miserable.

His breathing came in tremors from the shivering. He held his head low, splayed his ears back, and moaned. He tried to think of happier thoughts to build up his inner flame, but he could not. He had been in a miserable mood for the past week. Vixie had completely disappeared, and Flare grew sadder with every passing moment he spent without her. He barely knew what happiness was anymore. And so, he found it difficult to fan the fires of his inner flame. The thick coat of rain felt like ice on him. He had shaken his fur, but it still clung to him.

"Brrrrr…" he muttered, suffering from the rain's dousing effect. Under the roof, he was no longer in danger, but it was still a very unpleasant experience. He opened his eyes and stared out into the thick cascade of rain. He cursed at it. Sighing he glanced around.

He thought of Vixie. His heart instantly fell into a million pieces. He had never felt sadness like that which he felt now. He wanted to talk to Vixie. He wanted to see how she was feeling, and console her if she was sad. He wanted to hear that intoxicating giggle, and stare into those beautiful sapphire eyes. It was his deepest and only desire.

"Renart!"

The voice came from behind him. It sounded vaguely familiar. Curious, Flare turned his head and looked behind him. He saw Tephra approaching, soaked to the bone. Tephra froze when he saw Flare. The two stared at each other for a seemingly endless moment. Flare did not know what to feel. Anger? Fear? Animosity? Resent?

"Oh…It's you, Flare. I thought you were someone else." Tephra said simply. To Flare's surprise he walked under the roof and sat behind him. Tephra did not look at Flare. "Why don't you just do us both a favour and leave?" Tephra said, his voice not angry.

Flare was still shivering. He could barely breathe properly. "I can't leave! I'll die out there!" Flare retorted, slightly offended at the request, "If you don't want to be around me, then _you_ can leave."

Tephra did not move. He only spoke, "I'm waiting for someone. I promised him I'd wait here, so I'm not leaving." The two sat in silence, stalemated. Neither could or would leave.

Tephra sat as far away from Flare as he could while still remaining under the roof. He did not face Flare, but instead stared off into the distance. Flare was still shivering. He was absolutely freezing. Tense, silent minutes passed by. Five, ten, fifteen. The scene did not change. The rain continued to pour, and Tephra continued to ignore Flare. Flare did not dare speak to Tephra. If he wanted to talk, he would begin.

"Thank you."

Flare's ears perked up. Tephra's voice was a low monotone, and Flare had almost missed it. "I'm sorry?" he responded.

"I…I never properly thanked you…for saving my daughter from those ferals. So…thank you."

Flare was floored. This admission of respect had come completely out of left field. "Er…you're welcome, sir. I'm just glad she's okay," he responded. Tephra made a grunting sound that wasn't any word in particular.

More tense minutes of silence passed. Flare desperately wanted to continue the conversation. Perhaps he could get on Tephra's good side. This was his chance, but he had no idea what to say. "Um…Tephra? I know we haven't really gotten off on the right paw, but I really do care about Vixie. She-"

"You know what, Flare? Shut up," Tephra interrupted him in a gruff voice.

Flare drooped his ears and sighed. Tephra was starting to annoy him. "I'm just saying that-"

"No, Flare. No. You can try all you want, but you won't fool me. I can read you like a book Flare. You pretend to be all respectful and caring, but I know you're just like all the others…you horny bastard."

Suddenly, Flare wasn't cold any more. His inner flame roared. Tephra had struck a nerve. "Hey!" he exclaimed, "For your information I respect your daughter! I've never met anyone like her before! Sure she's beautiful, but she's more than that! You of all people should know that! She's got a deep, caring personality and a sweet demeanour. I'm more mature than you think I am. I don't care about mating! It's not important to me! Vixie is what I care about! I love her, Tephra! You can't change that. And she loves me. Why can't you just open your eyes and see what's before you?!" Flare panted, riled up.

Tephra finally turned to face him. His eyes showed contempt, but he was still calm. "Flare, do you know how many times young boys like yourself have told me the same story? None of it's true. They've all got mating on the mind, as do you."

"Don't assume that-"

"You know, maybe you're right. Maybe you really do care about Vixie, and you really don't care about mating. I can't take the chance. I don't trust you, Flare. I'm the only one Vixie's got in this world, so if I don't look out for her, who will?"

Flare softened his glare. This was something he could relate to. He sighed and said, "She's lonely, isn't she? I know exactly how she feels?"

Now Tephra was the one getting riled up. "How would you know how she feels?! Her mother died when she was very young! You could never understand something like that! You've got some nerve!"

Something snapped in Flare's mind. Any compassion he had for the being in front of him was gone. He stared up with fire in his eyes, glaring at the Ninetales. "Fuck you," he said in a low voice, "Both of my parents are dead. My brothers are dead. I've got no family whatsoever."

Tephra's eyes widened, and his gaze softened. "What?"

"My mother died two months ago."

Tephra blinked, caught off guard by this admission. "I…uh…really?"

"How the hell do you think I feel?!" Flare exclaimed, "Vixie's extremely lucky to have someone like you in her life. I have to go to sleep every night…alone." Flare put particular emphasis on the last word. He then turned away from Tephra and stared out into the continually cascading rain.

More minutes of silence reigned. Tephra did not speak, apparently deep in thought. Flare's mind bubbled and boiled like lava. Tephra had finally gone too far. Flare had given up trying to convince him that he was trustworthy. To him, Tephra was now just a jerk he wanted nothing to do with.

"Flare?" The silence had been broken by Tephra, his voice now calm. "I'm…sorry for your loss," he continued.

Flare did not budge. He only spoke, "You don't know what it's like to have no family. Your friends are always there for you, but it's not the same. There are things you just can't tell your friends. Things you would only tell your family." Tephra listened in silence.

"Tephra, how did you feel when you met Vixie's mother? Did your heart melt at the sight of her? Did the world fade away until it was just the two of you? Did you desperately want to spend time with her because your heart felt broken whenever you weren't around her?"

Tephra sat in silence for a few seconds. "Wow…that's exactly what I felt."

"Because I felt the same way when I met Vixie." More silence.

"But…" Tephra continued, "you're sneaking around with her, Flare! I found out that you weren't really sleeping on my porch! You spent the day with her. And then, you have her sleep over? You must admit, Flare. You aren't exactly looking trustworthy in my eyes."

Flare turned to face the Ninetales. "Tephra, the sleepover was _her_ idea. Everything that happened that night was her choice. And we only had to sneak around because _you_ wouldn't even let us talk to each other! You didn't give us a chance!" Flare gazed away again.

"Flare…I'm only trying to protect her."

"Well, you're protecting her from the wrong things. There are far worse dangers in the world than members of the opposite sex." Images of his mother flooded his mind. He remembered her shouting for him to run away. Her determined stare. Her valiant efforts. Her eyes.

He hung his head low. "She needs you, Tephra, but she's also made it clear that…she needs me." He paused. He saw in his mind the blood streaming over the body of his mother. "And I need her…" Images of his mother's loving gaze returned to him. "Because…" He was losing control of his emotions. He could feel the tears welling in his eyes. "Because the world…is…" Flare remembered the sadness he had felt, staring at his mother as she exhaled her final breath.

Teardrops ran down his face and fell to the ground. He inhaled with difficulty, trying to hold them back, but it was no use. He cried at the memory of his mother. He splayed back his ears, hung his head, and cried softly into the rainy afternoon.

"Flare?" Tephra's voice was soft, almost caring.

Flare turned his gaze to him. His vision was blurred by the tears. "She tried to protect me, but she couldn't protect herself!" he exclaimed emotionally.

Tephra's gaze was no longer hard and angry. It showed concern. "Flare, I've never seen one of Vixie's male friends…cry," Tephra spoke softly.

Flare only stared back in confusion. What did that have to do with anything? He sniffled as more tears ran down his face.

"Maybe you are different…"

Flare's ears perked up and his eyes shot open. What had Tephra said?

"Ever since she grew up, Vixie has met males who appeared to be nice and considerate, but turned out to be slimeballs. It's caused me great frustration." He turned to look at Flare, who was now gazing up at him. "They only had one emotion: lust."

Tears were still streaming from his eyes. "But you, Flare…you truly cared greatly about your mother, and you're extremely saddened by her death. You miss her immensely, don't you?"

Flare nodded, not entirely sure he knew where the conversation was headed.

Tephra sighed. "Maybe I misjudged you."

Flare's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, he no longer felt like crying. Was this really happening?

"You have to understand my perspective, Flare. I lost my mate. I don't want to lose my daughter." Flare nodded. Tephra sighed again. "Flare…I'm sorry. I was out of line acting the way I did. I should have given you a chance, but I didn't. If Vixie wants to be with you, then I shouldn't stop her. It's her decision."

Flare couldn't help but smile. He beamed. "You mean it, Tephra?" The Ninetales nodded. "Thank you. You don't realize how much this means to me…and it will mean a lot to Vixie too."

Suddenly Tephra stepped forwards, leaned down, and stuck his nose directly into Flare's face. "But know this. You harm my daughter in any way shape or form, and you will wish you'd never been born." Tephra said in a threatening voice.

Flare gulped. "Understood…" he muttered meekly, "You won't have to worry about that."

Tephra backed off. He paused, keeping his threatening expression on his face, and then he smiled. He chuckled. "You're all right, kid."

Flare smiled as well. He could still hardly believe it. This was what he had been wishing for over the past month. It was finally happening. Tephra had given him his trust.

"Look, Tephra," he said, being careful to word his thoughts correctly, "I'm sorry that I didn't give a good first impression, and I'm sorry we acted behind your back, but I really do love her. I've never felt true love before." Tephra listened intently, no longer angry. "Most people only dream of finding a…well, a "Happily Ever After", you know? It just feels like…I've found mine."

Tephra nodded. "She feels the same way about you," he spoke, "When I carried her home that day- I'm sorry about that, by the way- she cried all night. I tried to calm her down, but she wanted nothing in the world except to be with you." He sighed again. "How could I have been so blind?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Tephra. Even when I was the angriest at you, I still told myself that it was only because you cared for your daughter. I'm just glad that you trust me now. I'm glad we got it straightened out."

Tephra nodded. "Well…" he muttered, gazing outward, "it looks like my friend is a no-show…He's always forgetting things…I guess I'll head home then." He turned to look at Flare. "Would you like to join me? I'll use my tails as an umbrella for you."

Flare beamed as his heart warmed. "Thank you, Tephra. I'd love to."

* * *

><p>Vixie yawned.<p>

"Oh, sorry. Am I boring you?"

Vixie smiled. "Not at all. I love talking about our early days."

Flare nodded and agreed. "Well, what more is there to say? We fell in love, and we were never apart again," Flare continued. "It truly was happily ever after." They were silent for a moment.

"I'm really glad I met you, Flare."

"Me too, Vix. The day I met you was and will forever be the happiest moment of my life."

"You've always been there to protect me, Flare. Always. When I was sad, you were there to comfort me. When I fell, you were there to pick me up. When I cried, you were there to dry the tears."

Flare smiled and blushed. His heart always melted when Vixie expressed her affection.

"When the ferals attacked me, you saved me." She paused. "And then…there was that day…" She fell silent.

"Which day?" Flare asked.

"In Aritalas."

Flare also fell silent. He too remembered that day. Aritalas was a far off village where one of Flare's friends had moved to. When Vixie and Tephra had decided to pay a visit, paying Espie to teleport them, Flare had decided to tag along. "That was a dark day…" he muttered.

Vixie nodded as her ears drooped. "I'll never forget that day, Flare..."

* * *

><p>Things were happening too fast. Flare could barely think. The countryside whipped past him as he struggled to keep up with the Growlithe that ran ahead of him. He was Flare's friend Kerze whom he had come to visit in Aritalas. Flare panted. His mind driven only to run back to Aritalas. He had to get there. Now.<p>

The early hours of the day seemed like a far off memory to Flare. After chatting with Kerze, they decided to take a walk and look at the sights. They had crested a small mountain and circled a lake. Flare had enjoyed the new sights, sounds and smells. It had been peaceful, and Flare had enjoyed every minute of it.

When Flare had heard that Vixie and her father were paying Espie to Teleport them to Aritalas, he had jumped at the chance to tag along. Espie had then lowered the price of the whole group to nothing, because the Espeon and Flare were good friends. Not only would he have been able to see Kerze, but he would've gotten to spend a lot of quality time with Vixie.

Now, Flare's mindset had completely changed. His world felt like it had come crashing down. He still could not believe what was happening as he ran behind Kerze, desperately trying to get back to Aritalas. He had to reach Vixie.

Pure, blood-chilling fear was what Flare experienced when he had heard the news from a fleeing Eevee. His heart had leapt into his throat and he had nearly collapsed in disbelief. The Eevee's terrified words still rang clearly in his mind. "Run for it! A feral Charizard is attacking Aritalas!"

Now, Flare was running as fast as his feet could carry him. Aritalas was quickly approaching. His mind struggled to focus as a deep, crippling fear coursed through it. Flare had last seen Vixie in the village. He feared intensely for her safety. This was the kind of thing Flare had hoped would only come in nightmares.

The village drew closer. Flare could hear the roars in the distance. The sky ahead was covered by a thick, dark cloud of smoke. Flare pushed himself to run faster, driven by his will to protect Vixie.

'Please be all right. Please, please be unharmed!' he silently prayed. Flare felt like his entire world was wavering on the edge of destruction. Flare knew he would never forgive himself if Vixie were killed by this beast. It was his greatest fear.

"Kerze! We have to hurry! I have to protect Vixie!" he exclaimed, panting as he said it.

The Growlithe turned to look at him. "Don't worry, Flare! We'll get there! We'll protect her!"

In five tense minutes, the two reached the village. It had seemed like an eternity to Flare. When they arrived at a hill overlooking the village, the two stopped and stared in shock. Fire. It was everywhere. The entire village had gone up in flames. Not a single building was left untouched by the hungry fire.

"Dear Arceus…" Kerze muttered. It was an awful sight to behold. Flare could barely breathe; not from the smoke, but from the sheer disbelief. He could not avert his eyes from the roaring flames.

"Flare! Look!" Flare's mind restarted and he followed Kerze's gaze. On the west side of the village stood a large, black, dragon-like creature with large wings. The Charizard's face showed pure anger and maliciousness. It had the eyes of a feral, there was no mistaking that. Charizard were usually coloured a thick, orange hue. This one, however, was jet black.

Presently, it was breathing fire at the ground in front of it. Flare's could see that it was attacking something. "Something's fighting it!" he exclaimed.

"What?!" Kerze responded.

Flare didn't stick around to chat. He leapt off the hill and ran into the heart of the village, his heart pumping a million times a minute.

As he dodged the flames and followed the roars of the beast, his mind was running amok. He was losing focus. All he could think about was Vixie and her safety. Where was she?! He did not know, and it was tearing him apart. She might've evacuated, but Flare did not see her amongst the fleeing crowd. There were no Vulpix in this village, so she would've stood out.

Pure fear coursed through his veins and drove him to run faster. It was not fear of the beast, but rather fear for Vixie. "Please…" he muttered as he ran. Suddenly, he stopped. He had arrived at the scene of the action. His jaw fell.

Running below the Charizard and trying to keep it at bay was Tephra, his white fur hidden under a coat of soot and ashes. The grand, dark creature stood tall, growling and staring at him with feral eyes. It drove fear down Flare's spine.

The Charizard roared and expelled a mighty Flamethrower at Tephra, who swiftly dodged it. Tephra's presence in this fight worried Flare. His eyes swept the scene. Suddenly, he felt even more worried than he had been before. Hiding behind some rubble down the street was Vixie.

"I don't remember much about the fight. All I know is that seeing you hiding in fear ignited my inner flame. I had dashed out and joined Tephra's side. We fought together to protect you. My own safety meant nothing. All I cared about was keeping this feral beast away from you. And then…"

"Flare! Watch out!" Tephra's words rang out into the evening.

Flare artfully dodged backwards as the Charizard's flaming tail barely missed him. Flare was getting tired. This battle was drawing on, and he was rapidly losing strength. He had yelled to Vixie and told her to run and hide, but she had been too scared to move. She was frozen to the spot, so Flare knew he and Tephra had to keep this wild beast at bay.

"Just a little longer," Flare muttered to himself. Minutes earlier, Espie had shown up on the cliffs above the village. She had come to pick the three of them up and had been concerned when they hadn't shown up. She was currently trying to descend down to the battle scene to assist. Flare knew with her psychic powers they could win, as he and Tephra were not making many marks on the Charizard. One should not always fight fire with fire.

"Teff! Duck!" His muscles strained with fatigue, but he pushed himself. The battle would be won soon enough. He just had to keep the Charizard occupied until Espie showed up.

Presently, the Charizard was focused on Flare. It was quickly approaching him, claws and teeth barred. "Get outta here!" Flare shouted in disgust, before unleashing another Fire Blast. The Charizard brought its arms up to block the attack, but some of the flames found their way through. His Fire Blasts had been quite powerful in this particular battle.

Flare often glanced back to Vixie's hiding place to see if she had fled yet. Instead, he saw those frightened eyes staring back at him. They pleaded for his safety, and built his inner flame to extraordinary intensity.

The Charizard was backing off, pestered by Flare's flames. Tephra quickly dashed up to Flare's side. "Come on! Let's drive him into a corner together," he said to Flare, out of breath.

Flare only nodded. Working together, they threw every attack at the Charizard that they knew, never giving it a chance to retaliate. It was working. Slowly, but surely, the feral opponent backed into a corner between two buildings. It was difficult to launch so many attacks in a row, but Flare thought of Vixie. He was doing this to protect her and his love for her only added to his inner flame.

Tephra expelled a mighty Overheat from his maw, an attack known by few that was on par with the Fire Blast. The white-hot flames flew towards their target at blinding speed. The Charizard had no time to react. It roared in pain as the flames pushed it backwards. Its head snapped back as it slammed into the building behind it with extreme force.

Flare smiled, panting. That had certainly done some damage. "Woo! Nice one, Teff!" he congratulated his partner.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise. The ground shook slightly. The noise grew into a mix or cracking and rumbling. Flare and Tephra looked up at the building the Charizard had impacted. It was crumbling like a house of cards, weakened by the flames that had eaten it up. Beams came loose, bricks fell, and large sections of debris began to fall to the ground. Flare heard something. It made his heart skip a beat. The sound waves shot through his brain and felt like a bullet to the head.

It was Vixie screaming. Flare quickly glanced to the origin. Vixie had moved from her previous hiding spot. She now resided directly under the crumbling building. Various debris was falling all around her.

"Vixie!" Flare called out.

Tephra followed Flare's gaze and gasped. "Vixie! No!"

Vixie was looking up, her expression showing pure fear. Flare too glanced up. A huge slice of the wall had broken free from the building and was tumbling to the ground.

Right on top of Vixie.

"No!"

Silence filled the air. There was no crash. No sound of impact at all. No cries of agony. Instead there was silence. Flare opened his eyes and saw the scene before them.

The wall that was seconds away from killing Vixie hung suspended in the air, surrounded by a purple aura. A familiar purple aura. Flare quickly turned and looked behind him. He gasped as his heart restarted. Behind him stood a purple feline with long tufts of fur on her head and a tail with a forked end. The Espeon stood staring at the crumbling building with shining purple eyes.

"Espie!" Flare exclaimed.

Huge waves of relief washed over him as he turned back and saw Vixie escaping safely from underneath the suspended rubble. Espie had stopped its fall using her psychic powers.

Flare heard Tephra sigh with relief also. The Ninetales was still beside him, obviously shaken by his daughter's near-death experience.

Flare turned to face him. "That was close," he stated simply. Tephra closed his eyes and caught his breath.

Flare's ultra-sensitive ear twitched. One of the advantages Vulpix had over Ninetales was a superior sense of hearing. A footstep behind them caught his ear. Quickly, he turned his head and looked behind him. His heart stopped once again and fear flowed through his mind. The Charizard was back on its feet, and lunging towards the pair. It was approaching quickly; he only had a second to react.

"Tephra! Look out!" he shouted before quickly dashing out of the way. He turned and looked back.

Tephra had not reacted quickly enough. He could only cry out in surprise before the Charizard latched onto his neck with its powerful jaw. Tephra cried out in agony as the Charizard swiped its claws along Tephra's midsection before flinging him away. Tephra flew across the street, seemingly in slow motion, before he impacted the building on the other side. Flare winced. "Tephra!" He watched as the Ninetales fell to the ground. Tephra lay on the ground, limp and bleeding profusely.

"Daddy!"

He heard the heartbroken cry from behind him. Flare was stunned. He desperately hoped that Tephra was okay, but that had been a brutal attack.

"Enough!" That voice belonged to Espie. She dashed forward and stood in front of Flare. She faced the feral Charizard and growled. It only had time to face her before she released a brilliant multicoloured beam from her eyes. The Psybeam found its mark and the Charizard roared in pain. In seconds it collapsed to the ground, eyes shut and teeth gritted in agony.

Without missing a beat, Espie dashed forward and stood over her opponent. She stared at its face with cross eyes. The Charizard opened its eyes to view her, but moments later they were closed again. Espie's Hypnosis had put the Charizard into a deep sleep and had effectively ended the battle.

Flare and Vixie wasted no time celebrating. Both were immediately at Tephra's side. After making sure the Charizard was safely subdued, Espie joined them.

"Daddy! Daddy, wake up! Daddy!" Vixie's voice was frantic and desperate. Her paws were placed on his body and she was shaking him.

Flare couldn't move. He could only stare at the fallen Ninetales. Tephra's fur was caked with dust and dried blood. The wounds on his neck and midsection continued to bleed. Flare found himself staring at the flowing river of crimson. "Tephra…" he muttered.

Vixie was on the verge of tears, frantically shaking the body of her father. "Daddy! Please!" she cried into the silence.

Tephra coughed. Flare's ears perked up, as did Vixie's. Tephra's face twisted into an expression of pain and he gritted his teeth.

"Daddy!" Vixie exclaimed.

Tephra opened his eye with what seemed to be a great amount of stress. "Vixie…my baby…" he said weakly. Flare did not know what to say. He did not know what to do. He almost forgot how to breathe.

"Daddy! I'm here! Don't worry! We're all safe! You're gonna be all right!" Vixie said, her voice wavering. She padded forward leaned down to nuzzle her father's cheek.

Tephra coughed again. Flare could tell he was struggling to breathe. The situation was all too familiar to him.

"Vixie," Tephra croaked, "you've grown so much." His crimson eyes regarded her lovingly, and he smiled as he spoke. "I'm so proud of you."

Vixie's eyes were wide and her jaw was slackened in a state of disbelief. Flare too couldn't believe it. Tephra, one of the strongest souls he's ever known, was dying before him. His mind was frozen.

"Don't be sad, Vixie," Tephra continued, barely audible, "be strong. Be strong like you did before. I'll never leave you Vixie."

Tears were streaming down Vixie's face. She stared into the defeated face of her father, unblinking as if she believed her stare could cure him.

"Don't cry, Vixie. Please don't cry. I hate to see you cry." Tephra's loving words drove a dagger through Flare's heart. He found tears of his own welling up.

"Daddy! Please don't die! I can't go on without you!" Vixie cried out. Her tears fell from her face and embedded themselves in Tephra's dirtied white fur.

Tephra raised his head slowly, with much difficulty and licked his daughter on the cheek. "You won't be alone, Vixie. I'll always be there for you," he paused, and turned to face Flare. "and so will Flare."

Flare was surprised. He hadn't expected Tephra to say that. Flare stepped forward and gazed down into the dying Ninetales' eyes.

"Flare, I've come to know you so well for the past few months. You really are an outstanding individual. I'm glad I met you." He paused, turning back to face Vixie. "Promise me, Flare," he continued, his voice growing weaker every second, "Promise me that you'll always be there…for her…" Tephra coughed again. Blood was expelled from his mouth.

Vixie couldn't speak. She simply collapsed on top of her father, hugging him with her paws and crying into his fur. Tears streamed down her face, staining her fur.

Flare couldn't move. Tears were now streaming down his face as well. He'd come to adore and respect Tephra. He had become a great friend. "Tephra…" he muttered.

Vixie was sobbing. The flow of tears was clearly marked on her orange fur like rivers of pain upon her face.

Flare felt so helpless. There was nothing any of them could do. Espie did not know Recovery and, even if she did, Tephra's injuries were too extensive for it to have any effect. He was fading away, and no-one could stop him.

"Vixie," Tephra muttered, weaker than ever, "I'm just glad you're safe. I'm glad I could protect you. And I always will protect you. Always. I will always be watching over you."

Vixie lifted her head and stared into Tephra's eyes with her own. Her beautiful blue eyes were soaked with tears. "Daddy…" she whispered.

Tephra smiled warmly. "Goodbye, Vixie. I'll always love you." With that, he laid down his head, closed his eyes, and exhaled his final breath.

He was gone.

Silence filled the air. Not a soul moved. Vixie and Flare both stared into the unmoving face of Tephra. Vixie's tears fell to into his fur. Her breathing wavered and she began to tremble. She was on the edge, verging on a breakdown. Flare gazed at her, his heart completely broken by all the events taking place before him. Finally, Vixie's quivering lips could not keep her emotions locked inside any more. She buried her face in her father's fur and cried.

Her wails filled the air and created an atmosphere of sorrow. She clutched her father's fur and emptied her heart. Cascades of tears ran from her eyes. Flare watched in heartbreak as Vixie fell to pieces before him. She cried into the afternoon, her voice laced with sadness and sorrow.

Flare and Espie hung their heads, letting quiet tears fall. Vixie's pained cries continued to fill the air as she hugged her fallen father, afraid to let go. Hers were the cries of one with a truly injured soul. Flare had only ever heard one sound so sad before; himself. Every pained wail from her felt like a dagger in his heart.

He lifted his head and padded over to her. He leaned down and nuzzled Vixie's cheek, drying some of the tears that soaked her fur. He did not speak, and she did not respond, but Flare knew this was what Vixie needed. He had needed it before. She was crying so wildly that she was having difficulty breathing. Every sharp inhale was followed by intense howls of sorrow.

Flare licked her cheek. "Your father was right," he whispered in her ear, "He'll always be there for you," He paused as she opened her eyes and stared up at him. "And so will I." She was silent for a moment, looking at him with impossibly sad eyes. Tears continued to fall from them, flowing across the rivers upon her face.

And then, Vixie was upright, burying her face into Flare's chest fur. Her ears splayed back as she continued to mourn the loss of her father. Flare leaned his head down and nuzzled the soft fur upon her head. He hugged her with one paw. Flare remained silent; embracing his angel's broken heart. Vixie was still howling in mental anguish, and it was tearing Flare apart. Tears fell from both of them as Flare tried to console Vixie. Her loud cries zapped through his heart like a spear. She sounded like she was ready to give up. Flare was afraid he'd lost her.

And so, he kissed her head and nuzzled her cheek. "I'm sorry, Vixie," he said softly, "Don't worry Vix. We're here for you."

Finally, her emotions seemed to subside somewhat. She continued to sniffle as tears continued to stain her face. "Flare…" she sobbed, "he's…gone!"

Flare gazed into her blurry sapphire eyes and saw his own teary reflection distorted in them. Flare raised his paw and wiped the tears from her face. "Don't cry, Vixie," was all he said.

With that, Vixie buried her face in his chest again. And so, Flare hugged her tightly, letting his soul mend hers. They sat silently in their embrace, with Espie looking on forlornly behind them.

"I'll be there for you. Always."

* * *

><p>Vixie was sitting on the bed, staring at the floor in silence. Her ears were drooped and her eyes were sad. But she didn't cry.<p>

"I'm sorry Vixie. I kinda lost track of my nostalgia there."

She shook her head and looked at him. "It's okay, Flare. Remembrance is important."

Flare smiled and stepped over to her. They nuzzled for a minute before Flare said, "He'd be happy for you."

"Hm?" Vixie muttered inquisitively.

"You've been so strong, Vixie. You didn't give up and let the sadness envelop you. You continued living, just like he wanted you to." He paused. "And you didn't cry anymore."

Vixie nodded and then she smiled. "I never would've survived…without you, Flare." Flare smiled warmly. "You've always been there for me," she continued, "You've never left my side. When I was sad, you dried my tears. When I was hurt, you helped me heal. When I was in trouble…" She paused, "When I was in danger…you were there."

Flare nodded and said, "And I'd do it all again in a heartbeat."

Vixie responded by kissing Flare so passionately that he lost his grip on reality. Time and space drifted away until he was alone in the universe with Vixie. When the kiss ended, he was still lost. Vixie giggled and nuzzled his cheek. "I love you Flare. Thank you for always being there for me."

Flare finally returned to reality. "I love you too, Vixie. I don't tell you enough how much I love you. I would turn down all the wonders in the world if having them meant I couldn't be with you."

The two then stared lovingly into each other's eyes. Flare was captivated for several seconds before he noticed something peculiar outside the window. "Hey, look! It stopped raining!"

Vixie turned around and followed his gaze. "Yeah! You're right!" she responded.

"Well," Flare exclaimed, leaping off the bed, "let's get going! Magma and Flash are expecting us!"


End file.
